Myrellion Content Discussion (GENERAL)

[Theron]

The answer to the Myr civil war problem simple. Steele just needs to acquire a massive amount of the Orange Myr TF and dump it in the water supply.

There are a lot of ways for that to go wrong.

How much does the general population know about TFs? I'd expect a great deal of widespread panic.

Both sides are likely to blame the other. Remember, the populations are not mixed. They live in different cities. Sure, there might be former Reds killed by their own side, and Golds likewise, but it's entirely possible for the same ethnicity to wage war upon itself. The differences between the Reds and Golds are not just physical, they're very different culturally and that won't just disappear overnight because they have the same appearance. Even if only one side decides the other is responsible, you've got a problem. If anything, it would be worse. "They look just like us now!", "Anyone could be a Red/Gold spy!", "We should attack before they can infiltrate us!".

If neither side blames the other, the other obvious culprit the UGC. First, they show up with a giant fleet and an extinction-level threat the Myr can't do anything about (saving the Golds, effectively taking sides), then they dump a body-warping substance in the water without asking anybody. At the very least, it doesn't paint a good picture of how the UGC views client states and/or bodily autonomy. Will Steele own up to their actions or let the UGC take the blame?

Both sides have fertility issues. What happens if a nascent Gold Queen takes the Orange Myr TF? Fertile Red? What if an infertile Gold takes it? Or infertile Red?

What happens to non-Myr who drink it? The Bothrioc/Wetraxxel/Ganrael/random wildlife? UGC citizens?

I know TiTS is a Megacorp Dystopia, but applying involuntary TFs on a planetary scale is probably a major crime, especially on a planet that is likely going to become a part of the UGC. While not quite the same, Dr. Lash is hiding from the UGC for attempting to sterilize the dominant life-form of a planet. Steele Tech is rich, but Steele would likely need some major plausible deniability and/or very good lawyers, especially if it re-ignites the war and the fleet is forced to follow through on their threat. We know they will from one outcome of Kara's 2nd quest.

 

[TiTSFan]

It would shake up their lives on a massive scale causing chaos and confusion. Then when that turns to anger, point them at a common enemy (real or imagined) and marvel as they figure out how to work together for a change. They would still hate each other, but they'd hate the responsible party even more. As for the non-Myr, aside from a few named characters in the Myr controlled cities, it wouldn't change much. I'm not talking about dosing the whole world, just the two stronghold cities.

My idea was made in jest, but with enough planning and resources, it could be a viable option/solution.

 

[Aernin]

Agreed, forcing changes is not likely the way to go, and doesnt really fit the adventurous daring-dos that Steele's story mostly revolves around. More likely is an event or discovery that both breaks the stalemate and at least leaves the option for a peaceful resolution.

I was thinking that expanding upon the Black Void threat hidden on the planet might be viable. A strong, directly sinister, third foe in the conflict could leave both sides a means of ending conflict by directing attention to the dark side of what meeting the off-worlders entails. Stage a Red Myr coup, kidnap a Gold Myr Queen, any number of options once you introduce them back, I suppose.

The biggest fault I personally see with all the Myr is their clinging to this war while a galaxy awaits them and both sides posturing, waiting for the other side to give them a reason to react. The Black Void would make a good scape goat for both sides to react and feel they came out "winning"

 

[Theron]

It would shake up their lives on a massive scale causing chaos and confusion. Then when that turns to anger, point them at a common enemy (real or imagined) and marvel as they figure out how to work together for a change. They would still hate each other, but they'd hate the responsible party even more. As for the non-Myr, aside from a few named characters in the Myr controlled cities, it wouldn't change much. I'm not talking about dosing the whole world, just the two stronghold cities.

My idea was made in jest, but with enough planning and resources, it could be a viable option/solution.

Next to Gildenmere, Kressia was our second biggest city.

So, you just made the Gold populations of the two biggest Gold cities non-Gold, and barely touched the Reds at all. That's not really going to help. Or do you mean the (unnamed?) Red capitol? And the most likely 'common enemy' is the UGC, which has overwhelmingly superior technology and absolute control of space and air.

Do we have any evidence Red High Command is in Kressia?

I was thinking that expanding upon the Black Void threat hidden on the planet might be viable. A strong, directly sinister, third foe in the conflict could leave both sides a means of ending conflict by directing attention to the dark side of what meeting the off-worlders entails.

Maybe, but you need to do it in such a way that it doesn't cause the UGC Fleet to think the Myr violated their ultimatum and glass the planet. And you're at risk of transferring their xenophobia to 'aliens' in general. While warranted, I don't see that going well, given their current technological development relative to the rest of the galaxy.

 

[TheShepard256]

especially if it re-ignites the war and the fleet is forced to follow through on their threat. We know they will from one outcome of Kara's 2nd quest.

Actually, it's the opposite; if you're still on your ship when the nuke goes off, you'll see the Damocles Fleet retreating while the myr nuke the surface of Myrellion. Though the outcome is still the same; one nuked Myrellion.

 

[Theron]

Actually, it's the opposite; if you're still on your ship when the nuke goes off, you'll see the Damocles Fleet retreating while the myr nuke the surface of Myrellion. Though the outcome is still the same; one nuked Myrellion.

Thanks for the correction. I'd never actually taken that ending and was working off of a vague recollection of the Wiki. That's what I get for not fact-checking.

In that case, you'd need to find an appropriate scapegoat that can be defeated at the Myr's level of technology (I don't think being 'saved' by the UGC would prove your point), won't drive off the UGC fleet (leaving them at the mercy of Pirate gangs) and hopefully both sides won't find their cooperation in 'destroying the abominations'.

 

[Aernin]

Maybe, but you need to do it in such a way that it doesn't cause the UGC Fleet to think the Myr violated their ultimatum and glass the planet. And you're at risk of transferring their xenophobia to 'aliens' in general. While warranted, I don't see that going well, given their current technological development relative to the rest of the galaxy.

If anything I would think that makes it better, the story richer for it. Both races are being to introduced to the galaxy as we meet them, meeting with pirates, slavers, and generally more threats are going to be inevitable, much like the Zil Tribes. There is simply no more hiding or trying to keep to themselves, especially with their level of technology. But I also agree that neither side should suddenly direct war efforts at the Black Void, thats simply too large of a scale to narratively deal with. However its also a great chance for the Red and Gold ambassadors to take a more active role. Both want peace and understand the galaxy is too large for their war to hold meaning but lacked the power to change their leaders' minds, so a covert mission of great importance using their combined efforts fits very snuggly into the typical action movie type escapades Steele gets up to.

As for how it affects the war itself I dont think we fully need to experience that, just hear a solid statement that it will happen due to our efforts and maybe someone of UGC authority planning to come in and finalize a peace at a later date. Things like the changes to Red and Gold social structures can mostly be glossed over, maybe the ambassadors talking about how everything will change from here on.

 

[Theron]

If anything I would think that makes it better, the story richer for it. Both races are being to introduced to the galaxy as we meet them, meeting with pirates, slavers, and generally more threats are going to be inevitable, much like the Zil Tribes. There is simply no more hiding or trying to keep to themselves, especially with their level of technology.

One thing they could potentially do is destroy the Warp Gate(s).

However its also a great chance for the Red and Gold ambassadors to take a more active role. Both want peace and understand the galaxy is too large for their war to hold meaning but lacked the power to change their leaders' minds, so a covert mission of great importance using their combined efforts fits very snuggly into the typical action movie type escapades Steele gets up to.

Maybe, but you'll note both Ambassadors have a significant degree of dislike for the other side. They may want peace (or get the UGC on their side), but they really don't like each other. If you really wanted to make it convincing (i.e. a personal story standing in for two societies), I think you'd have to get the Ambassadors working together directly and building some degree of mutual respect. The issue is: What problem could the Red and Gold Myr combined forces do that the UGC forces could not?

As for how it affects the war itself I dont think we fully need to experience that, just hear a solid statement that it will happen due to our efforts and maybe someone of UGC authority planning to come in and finalize a peace at a later date. Things like the changes to Red and Gold social structures can mostly be glossed over, maybe the ambassadors talking about how everything will change from here on.

I think you'd need to deal with the reproductive issues for significant social changes. The Gold Queens especially. Either they have power because they are everyone's mother, or they are everyone's mother but have no official social power (which is where the males are, actually*). Either way, they're producing all the young. How do you incentivize producing so many offspring instead of stopping after the first hundred/thousand or so?

*Males are protected, but paternity doesn't really seem to be a thing in Gold Myr society. Do we know if all males are fertile?

 

[Aernin]

One thing they could potentially do is destroy the Warp Gate(s).

Thats a long shot considering their WW1 level technology. They would have to hijack some spacefaring and very powerful technology to get that done and I doubt the UGC would look kindly on that, let alone any amount of Myr having the understanding of the technology to get it done.

Maybe, but you'll note both Ambassadors have a significant degree of dislike for the other side. They may want peace (or get the UGC on their side), but they really don't like each other. If you really wanted to make it convincing (i.e. a personal story standing in for two societies), I think you'd have to get the Ambassadors working together directly and building some degree of mutual respect. The issue is: What problem could the Red and Gold Myr combined forces do that the UGC forces could not?

And thats fine, I dont think anyone is suddenly wanting Red and Golds to be friends, not even the ambassadors. But they can work together and both hate the war more than each other, just from different angles.

I think you'd need to deal with the reproductive issues for significant social changes. The Gold Queens especially. Either they have power because they are everyone's mother, or they are everyone's mother but have no official social power (which is where the males are, actually*). Either way, they're producing all the young. How do you incentivize producing so many offspring instead of stopping after the first hundred/thousand or so?

I dont think, as part of resolving the war this part HAS to be addressed, maybe mentioned. But I would love it as an additional after the fact, a reason to circle back. The Kui-tai representative is on the planet for this very reason anyway, he wants to open the planet up for interbreeding with his people. Off the top of my head their closet shenanigans could finally bear fruit and the Gold rep becomes pregnant, leading to change.

As for after quests I think either convincing the queens or convincing the people could have interesting narratives, a popular suggestion is letting the queens continue to do their thing but no longer be exclusive to breeding or have as much power. But one thing before the other, the war has to end before the societies can even begin to think about changing, all that will happen regardless once they start leaving the planet to explore the UGC but the game simply doesnt have the time to map out multiple societies being changed on the fundamental and nuanced level. Acknowledging the beginning of change is honestly enough without adding a novel on alien social commentary.

 

[Tide Hunter]

The thing about all of these solutions is that the seem to assume that it's possible to unite them and "fix" their societies and the like. I don't really think that it is truly possible to get some peace between the two. Or at least, the player could not have the level of influence needed to do such a thing. Even if you were to attempt to set up a common enemy, the Myr would likely go straight to fighting each other once the threat has been dealt with, if they even would stop during that time. And with the UGC there, if there was such a major threat that the Myr would need to unite to face it, the UGC would very likely have dealt with it themselves.

 

[Aernin]

Well thats just it, both sides seem to understand drastic change is coming, regardless of outcome with their war. But both sides are also prideful enough to not back down. They only have to look up to see an alien armada pointing world ending weapons at them and saying "Peace, or else" yet still choose to posture at their old enemy. I dont expect them to lay down their arms, hand out Pepsi to each other and start singing kumbaya as best friends. I do expect that they would accept an out that leaves their pride intact. Again, once the two Myr races integrate into galactic society their reasons for war basically become moot, but thats not exactly something we, as the player, have to witness, only acknowledge its a likely future outcome.

As for UGC involvement, they are honestly more passive than we give them credit for. They setup base and waited. The Myr are not a UGC race yet, they have only been offered to be one. There are no aid teams helping civvies on the surface, no formal UGC presence aside the Kui-tan rep who is actively pushing for anything, no proposal for much of anything. Its the megacorps that are doing anything worthwhile so far and they wouldnt dirty their hands trying to help, they got their samples and their profits. We also have already faced the Black Void on Myrellion, one which Steele got no UGC help with, the operation was funded by a crime lord.

 

[Theron]

They’re not expecting trouble - they don’t think anybody knows they’re there. P-probably! It’s a backwater research base, after all. A couple dozen foot-soldiers at worst, plus some automated security...

…Besides, they picked Myrellion for a reason: this planet’s lousy with weapons of mass destruction. Chemical weapons, nukes, you name it. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the local factions is supplying them with W.M.D.s, which you know are going to be used against spacers like us. The last thing any of us need is for a piercer rocket to punch into our ship’s hull and fill it with myr lust-gas, turning the whole crew into fuck-hungry animals begging to be enslaved if it means sweet relief.

...This was going to be used as a smuggling base right after the Rushers discovered Myrellion, before the Damocles Fleet arrived in orbit. After that, well, it’s hard enough to move goods on the down-low without a jumpy Confederate fleet next to your destination.

If Kara is to be believed, the UGC didn't know about the Black Void. Unlike the bomb at the Stellar Tether, the UGC wouldn't know about the base Self Destruct. Unless that's standard for Black Void bases. Which it might be. Steele doesn't actually accomplish much on that mission. Amara's pride was hurt and Kara gets something from Dr. Khan's computer but the base is still there and their operations are still ongoing. You really should report their presence to the UGC.

The Gold Myr Dr. Khan is 'working' with assure you they can find a way out. Maybe that thread can be followed up on. Side note: 'Bastard' is an interesting insult in a society where no-one knows (or cares) who their father is.

What could the Myr do about the Black Void? If the Black Void are getting WMDs from the locals, what are the Black Void supplying in return? The Myr say they were promised technology, but it sounds like the Void didn't hold up their end of the deal. Or they did, but to someone other than the Myr they enslaved. If there is a trade going on, that faction won't want to attack their offworld partners. Is either faction sufficiently beholden to their populace to be forced to no longer deal with pirates if it's unpopular enough? As an aside, you'd think material for nukes would be easy to come by.

Smuggling is apparently discouraged by the UGC presence, although the Black Void seems confident they can avoid detection.

Your fleet offered medical assistance to the wounded once the cease-fire was established.

My arm had gotten badly infected by the time they got me back, so the medics had to cut it off while I was out. They sent me here to the alien doctors because your medicine is better at dealing with infections like this. I got the medicine and have been using the beds there ever since.

They told me they might be able to help when I first came, but I told them I wasn’t sure and they didn’t push it. People of all sorts come to this bar, some of them have arms like that. I’m not sure if I could go back to how I used to live if part of me was, well, alien.

It’s going to cost you some money if you came to get this girl’s arm back. Because of the relief efforts we’ve got replacements at a heavy discount, but there’s still a cost.

Clearly there's been some aid.

It’s said that some company called ‘Xenogen’ slipped the Federation a ‘how-to’ guide on genetic manipulation in exchange for... something.

 

[jwins]

I'll add my two cents to the Gildenmere gangrape scene.
Let's say if you fail the check to escape and then you get the quest from the queens to investigate the terrorists. You get the information but can refuse to share it until the queens agree to have the rape happy soldiers properly punished for their crime.
Or just give the option to explain oneself to avoid the encounter if the check failed and not resort to valuing your psychological state on par with the lives of possibly thousands.
Also please stop saying that my character enjoyed a thing they were actively trying to avoid.

 

[Athena]

I'll add my two cents to the Gildenmere gangrape scene.
Let's say if you fail the check to escape and then you get the quest from the queens to investigate the terrorists. You get the information but can refuse to share it until the queens agree to have the rape happy soldiers properly punished for their crime.
Or just give the option to explain oneself to avoid the encounter if the check failed and not resort to valuing your psychological state on par with the lives of possibly thousands.
Also please stop saying that my character enjoyed a thing they were actively trying to avoid.

Yeah, unfortunately, that appears to be a scene submission that probably needed a lot more thought and attention than it ultimately got. Disabling the encounter during Terrorist investigation quest, and adding the option with a small scene that boils down to "you explain the situation, and they leave disappointed" would shore that up. As far as I'm aware, it's the only scene where you can get raped in a safe zone, so I think it's safe to say that it's just an oversight at this point.

Would this warrant a bug report?

 

[Athena]

Not a bug report, no, it's working as intended, but petitioning Fen for a guaranteed way to avoid it or enact consequences on the transgressing parties would almost certainly succeed.

Done and done. Also, looking at the Github page, it appears that running away - and therefore the skill check - is only available during the first time you meet them, so it just makes the "run away" option seem even more nonsensical in my opinion.

 

[Dr.Shakey]

Radical thought, but what if you convince Estallia and her renegade Gold Myr to take the Orange TF's first? Beat her in combat and spare her people of they take it. Convince them it would end the war if they blurred the lines between the two civilizations.

If theres a Queen, any queen, backing the effort it might bridge the divide and legitimately push forward peace talks.

(I'm speaking from a gameplay standpoint here, not really politics.)

 

[Savin]

Radical thought, but what if you convince Estallia and her renegade Gold Myr to take the Orange TF's first? Beat her in combat and spare her people of they take it. Convince them it would end the war if they blurred the lines between the two civilizations.

Because the war isn't about superficial appearances and Orange Myr would not change anything. If every myr woke up overnight as an orange myr they'd still be at war.

 

[Shizenhakai]

Because the war isn't about superficial appearances and Orange Myr would not change anything. If every myr woke up overnight as an orange myr they'd still be at war.

Nonsense, there has never be a war between people who look similiar!

Though, seriously, I wonder how similiar they would actually look. To our human eye, sure little difference. But considering they are insectoids, their may still be differences in the pheremones or something like that.
Basically, they could still fight because the other one "is different", the aliens would just no longer see the difference.

It is rarely the (optical) differences that lead to hatred and war, it is that people who are in any way different are easy targets for hatred and war.

The Orange Myr "solution" would not stop war, at most it could shift the alliances and targets.

Are the other planets really unified? Or have they not just abondoned open and "honest" war for more subtle methods?
The corporations are not exactly champions of sportmanship after all..

 

[Couch]

Orange was a mistake. Just the color in general.

 

[Dr.Shakey]

From a biological perspective though, they dont seem to be the same species. Aside from being much smaller than the Golds, Red Myr only have two arms, dont produce honey, do produce venom and seem to even have less chitin according to the busts.

The Gold myr have four arms, a much larger abdomen and the queens have four breasts. They produce honey, in ludicrous quantities, not venom. They are heavily chitin'd (as evidenced by Lilianna's bust, though i'm aware busts aren't totally canon) and we've seen at least one male (Dally).

Not only that, but both sides have their own issues with reproduction. While both have suffered from infertility, some Gold myr have solved the problem through TF's, only the Gold Myr have queens and though they were mentioned, it doesn't seem like Red Myr males have even been planned in the game. Instead they use their venom to enslave Golds through addiction.

Honestly, my assumption is that Red Myr are a parasitic offshoot of Gold's. That would explain a lot about their biology, if not their culture, but with the ongoing hostilities, the differences in culture and their rapidly advancing technology they run the risk of dying off if they don't come to an agreement. In my opinion, thats the orange pill.

I do agree that orange isn't the greatest color though, despite it being an obvious combination of the two.

 

[Savin]

they run the risk of dying off if they don't come to an agreement. In my opinion, thats the orange pill.

Why would changing their aesthetics stop an ideological conflict between a decadent socialist-monarchist empire and a militaristic psuedo-democracy.

The point of the war isn't that they look different, it's that they're two fundamentally incompatible, highly-antagonistic cultures competing for land and resources.

 

[Dr.Shakey]

Their biology and culture are not mutually exclusive though. The entire culture of Golds is that they don't just rule over the lower chaste, but actively breed and produce more, wheres the reds use the biological advantage of their venom to enslave workers to prop up their economy so they can allocate more of their people to the military. They value war and respect soldiers, as evidenced by Nezhara reprimanding an officer for speaking Ill of Lyralla.

To act like thats just the way things are because its the way things are ignores that people and government change in real life too. Seems kind of silly when we're talking about a fantasy game where people can grow foot long cocks in seconds and a galaxy worth of different species and civilizations desperately want to shuffle these people into an enlightened era (at least long enough to profit off of them).

Edit: and if it wasn't clear, I was referring to the Red Myrs infertility and what I'm assuming to be a whomping assload of inbreeding among the Golds. I think the orange pill could level the playing field by curing the infertility and allowing everyone to have children, not just a few priviledged queens.

Im not expecting or demanding immediate change, but maybe scripted peace talks for the main character to orchestrate, putting forward the orange pill as an option, with a demonstration from some volunteers (Estallia) and maybe a thwarted attack of slme kind to shake up both side a little. It could get the ball rolling towards a better future, maybe the possibility of actual Orange Myr characters in the game.

Or maybe you guys are really entrenched on keeping this little ball of a planet in a constant state of aggression. I dunno, they're your characters.

 

[Savin]

I mean, peace talks have always been part of the expected endgame shit, but I will tell you full on the orange pill is just a red herring and won't help in any way shape or form.

 

[Rear Admiral Chimera]

Changing their biology won't change their ideology. This isn't a Sneetches scenario where all it would take for these warring factions to look past their differences is the ability to add or remove "stars upon thars". If anything forcing the transformative on all Myr may cause more turmoil than before due to the (former) Reds now having the biological benefits that the (former) Golds have without the cultural reliance upon queens.

 

[Number13]

Orange was a mistake. Just the color in general.

Agreed. It should have been Blue. We need our Blu Myr!

 

[Dr.Shakey]

I mean, peace talks have always been part of the expected endgame shit, but I will tell you full on the orange pill is just a red herring and won't help in any way shape or form.

Mayhaps it's not important to the story, but it does exist, even if there aren't any orange myr characters. Doesn't mean it cant be fun.

Changing their biology won't change their ideology. This isn't a Sneetches scenario where all it would take for these warring factions to look past their differences is the ability to add or remove "stars upon thars". If anything forcing the transformative on all Myr may cause more turmoil than before due to the (former) Reds now having the biological benefits that the (former) Golds have without the cultural reliance upon queens.

I certainly never said, or meant to imply, that i'm advocating for any forced changes, but this is exactly what I've been saying. Its not just color, they are described as very different biologically as well as culturally, and their biology influences their culture greatly.

 

[TheShepard256]

Its not just color, they are described as very different biologically as well as culturally, and their biology influences their culture greatly.

While this is true to some extent, it's not the whole story, and both cultures are well entrenched enough that changing their biology isn't going to immediately change their society to match. This is especially true for the reds, whose militaristic society developed more from their hostile environment than their biology, with the only biologically-influenced parts of their society I can identify being the trench wife phenomenon and the fact that males generally aren't allowed on the front lines due to their rarity.

I agree that the Orange Pill could help in obtaining a peaceful resolution (namely, by convincing some members of each side that they're not so different after all), but there's no way it could ever be a 'magic bullet' that ends the war by itself. The cultural differences and the influence of recent history are far too great for that to occur.

 

[jwins]

Any hope for a way for male characters to get honey wine that doesn't involve sucking it from a bug?

 

[Lone Wolf115]

To me the reds are nazis and the golds are Great Britain in ww2.

 

[Lone Wolf115]

Any hope for a way for male characters to get honey wine that doesn't involve sucking it from a bug?

You buy it from the same place sorry if you figured it out already.